Leaf Collection Program
2023 FALL LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM:The 2023 Fall Leaf Collection Program concluded on Friday, December 8, 2023.
To participate in the Leaf Collection Program, please place your leaves in a long, low row in the parkway in front of your property. Make sure the leaf pile does not contain any yard waste. Leaf piles that contain yard waste will not be picked up. Please keep the leaf piles out of the street as leaf piles can be a traffic hazard and can clog the storm sewers.
For yard waste collection, you can use the LRS Yard Waste Collection Program.
During the Fall Leaf Collection Program, this webpage is updated every weekday with the current crew location area and the anticipated crew location area(s) for the following day.
Leaf Collection Program Information
Wondering how the Leaf Collection Program works? A combination of Village forces and private contractor labor collects the leaves. The leaves are then delivered to the Chicago Botanic Garden for mulching. The Village is divided into five leaf collection areas. (See map under Crew Location Information or click here). The leaf collection crews always start in Area 1 and proceed to the next area in numerical order once each area is complete. The completion of all five areas is referred to as a pass. The crews generally start a collection in mid-October and finish in early to mid-December and they aim to complete five to seven passes around the Village each fall season.
When the leaf collection crews are in an area, they systematically drive down one side of each street and come back down the other side, searching for and collecting leaf piles in the parkway. A Public Works crew member, referred to as the Leaf General, methodically records the day and time when each street has been completed during each pass and works to ensure that no streets are missed. This individual also tracks the number of cubic yards of leaves that are hauled to the Chicago Botanic Garden for composting and serves as a liaison between the Village staff and the contractor's crews.
The Village informs residents where the leaf collection crews are working each day and where the crews are anticipated to be working the following day, via this webpage. However, forecasting which streets the leaf collection crews will complete on any day is difficult. Unexpected delays can occur due to leaf collection machinery malfunctions, incremental weather or high volumes of leaves. At the same time, crews may complete areas sooner than anticipated because there is less leaf volume at the curbs. If the leaf collection crews are in the preceding area, you may generally assume that the leaf collection crews will be in your area in one to three business days. For example, if the leaf collection crews are in Area 2 and you live in Area 3, you should be bringing your leaves to the parkway in anticipation of the collection. However, this is not a guarantee.
As a resident, there is no need to sign up for the leaf collection program. To participate, place your leaves in a long, low row of leaves in the parkway in front of your property during the Fall Leaf Collection Program season. Please keep the leaf piles out of the street as leaf piles can be a traffic hazard and clog the storm sewers.
Please be aware that there is no set schedule or a day of the week when your leaves will be picked up during the Leaf Collection Program. Also, the Leaf Collection crews are unable to respond to requests for on-demand pickups as it would create program inefficiencies.
Want to know more? Scroll down to FAQ section below.
Crew Location InformationWant to know when the leaf collection crews will be in your neighborhood? First, determine which area you live in by studying the map below. (Hint: Click here or the image to enlarge the map.) Second, check this webpage for daily updates that specify where the leaf collections are working and where they anticipate starting the next day.
FAQs
There is no need to sign up for the Leaf Collection Program. To participate, place your leaves in a long, low row of leaves in the parkway in front of your property during the Fall Leaf Collection Program season. Please keep the leaf piles out of the street as leaf piles can be a traffic hazard and clog the storm sewers.
If there are cars parked in front of leaf piles, the crews place “no parking” signs at the leaf pile and return to collect the leaf piles the following day.
The Village informs residents where the leaf collection crews are working and where they are anticipated to be working the following day, via this webpage. However, forecasting which streets the leaf collection crews will complete on any day is difficult. Unexpected delays can occur due to leaf collection machinery malfunctions, incremental weather or high volumes of leaves. At the same time, crews may complete areas sooner than anticipated because there is less leaf volume at the curb. If the leaf collection crews are in the preceding area, you may assume that the leaf collection crews will be in your area in one to three business days. For example, if the leaf collection crews are in Area 2 and you live in Area 3, you should be bringing your leaves to the parkway in anticipation of the collection.
Please be aware that there is no set schedule or a day of the week when your leaves will be picked up during the Leaf Collection Program. Please visit the website to find out when the leaf collection crews are expected to be in your leaf collection area.
Generally, the leaf collection crews only collect leaves on a street once per pass. If the leaf collection crews were already collecting on your side of the street, they will not return until the next pass.
The leaf collection crews are unable to respond to requests for on-demand leaf pickups as this would program inefficiencies.
No, landscapers generally do not coordinate with the leaf collection crews for leaf collection pickup. Residents who use a landscape contractor are urged to have the contractor remove leaves at the time their yard is serviced (this is often included).
Residents can place their leaves in a kraft paper yard waste bag with a yard waste sticker to be picked up as part of the yard waste collection on Wednesdays. Yard waste stickers can be purchased at the Village Hall or at The Grand. Note that the Yard Waste Collection Program ends on December 15.
Additionally, residents who use a landscape contractor are urged to have the contractor remove leaves at the time their yard is serviced (this is often included).
Additionally, residents who use a landscape contractor are urged to have the contractor remove leaves at the time their yard is serviced (this is often included).
The use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers is permitted from September 15 to December 15. Commercial landscape maintenance contractors may operate 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday to Friday and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Work is prohibited on Sundays and holidays.
If you are unable to place your leaves out for the Fall Leaf Collection Program, LRS will do its final yardwaste collection in mid-December. For the LRS yardwaste collection, leaves must be placed in kraft bags and be tagged with a yardwaste sticker. Stickers are available for purchase at The Grand and the Village Hall. If you miss both the Leaf Collection Program and the final yardwaste pickup, leaves can be stored in bags in a dry location until the yardwaste collection begins in the spring.
Contact Public Works at (847) 461-1153 with questions.